My Angel's Princess
by Tauriel Skywalker
Summary: Princess Leia Organa is the prisoner of Darth Vader on board the Death Star with no hope of escape. But just as he thinks that victory is at hand, memories of Padmé shake his resolve. An accident that ensues results in Vader learning that one of his greatest enemies is the child he thought had died with his beloved wife.
1. My Daughter?

I don't own Star Wars.

* * *

The Slave

"And now your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base."

I smile in satisfaction, watching the girl's face pale as the torture droid approaches. The cell door closes behind me. Besides the torture and medical droids, the only others left in the cell with me and the princess are two guards, who I feel are completely unnecessary. Unfortunately, while I am on the Death Star, that power hungry weasel Tarkin has more authority than is good for him and insists on his own men being present.

The small girl tries to back herself as far into the corner as she can. Despite how immobile her fear seems to make her, I know she will not simply sit still and take the injection. I reach out with the Force and hold her in place, her arms tight to her sides. Her eyes grow wide with fear and she looks up at me when she feels herself restrained. The fear in her eyes would usually have left me reveling in her agony. But now I find I can't look at her. I don't know why, but I have to look away.

I turn my head so that it seems as though I am looking at one of the medical readouts that is to monitor the princess's condition. She is not to be killed…yet, so every possible precaution has been put in place to ensure she would survive.

I wait until I know the medical droid has attached the readout to her. When I dare to look back at the girl, the readout has been attached to her arm and has already begun to run test on her blood. The look in her eyes is one that is all too familiar to me. I have seen it in countless Rebel prisoners. But these eyes…

I feel unwanted memories trying to force themselves to the front of my mind. I shove them aside, and channel the anger I feel at my weakness into holding the Rebel princess even tighter in my invisible grasp.

The torture droid is hovering in the middle of the cell waiting for the order to proceed. I wave my hand and the droid starts moving towards the princess again.

Leia Organa's face has become as white as her dress and I feel her try to free herself from my grip. I feel her scream building up inside her chest, but she holds it in. She does not want to give me the satisfaction. But when the droid inserts the needle causing the serum to flow into her veins, she does scream.

I force myself to watch her face, trying to read her mind. But the look I had seen in her eyes was agonizing and her scream… I didn't think that any piece had survived all these years, but her scream tore what was left of my heart.

The instant the scream escapes her, I feel my resolve crumble. I can't handle it. As I turn and make for the cell door, I release her. The moment I release her, several things happen at once.

In my haste to leave, I trip over the I.V. tube that connected the princess to the readout, ripping the tube off the readout and out of the princess's arm causing blood to splatter on her arm and sleeve. The readout spins out of control, exposing another needle that sticks into my arm. But the needle prick is nothing compared to the blinding surge in the Force that I feel that causes both of the droids and the guards' blasters to blow apart.

At first I cannot tell where the surge came from, so I believe that I have reacted in my fury of finding the readout stuck in my arm. Hardly believing that it has even managed to pierce my armor, I rip the readout from my arm and intend to crush it. But before I can, something on the screen catches my attention. In the brief moment it had been in my arm, it had managed to test my blood next to the princess's. I freeze, staring at the readout. The guards stand nervously looking at each other waiting for an order. The princess whimpers quietly in the corner clutching at the needle injuries on both her arms, the drugs in the serum not yet taking effect.

I do not know how long it took for me to find my voice. Finally I speak without looking up from the screen. "Leave!" I command. "I will interrogate the princess alone."

After quickly picking up what blaster and droid debris they can, the guards scurry out of the cell, Tarkin's orders completely forgotten in their fear.

"All recording devices in this cell are to be deactivated immediately," I add as an afterthought just before the cell door closes.

I continue to stare at the readout, not believing what I am seeing. I sense that the recording devises have been deactivated and that I am now free to do what I wish without interference. But I just continue to stare at the readout, trying to understand how it could be possible.

I feel the girl shiver in the corner and I know that she is now unconscious. I look at her knowing now why her eyes had that terrifying effect on me…

 _Anakin, your breaking my heart._

Why had I not seen it? She is the image of her mother – my angel. Crushing the readout and destroying its data in the process, I walk over to her and sit on the bench, simply looking at her. Before I can stop myself or even think about my actions, I do something that I have never believed I would be able to do – I pick up my little girl and just hold her in my arms, wrapping my cloak around her to stop her shivering. How old is she? She is so small, yet she looks and acts so grown up. Three days from now it will be sixteen years ago – sixteen years since my wife died. My daughter is still only fifteen.

I can now feel that she is Force sensitive, and I smile as I realize that she is the one who blew up the droids and blasters – how fitting that the first person to make me smile is the daughter of the one who was the last to make me smile.

I brush a few loose strands of hair back from her face and try to read her mind. I find nothing about the Rebel base, but I had not expected to and I soon realize that I am not trying very hard. I gently reach into her mind to wake her, but when she opens her eyes she is not the same girl I had seen only moments before. She is delirious, her fight is gone, and so is her spiteful personality. It seems the serum had a greater effect on her than I had anticipated.

Seeing my daughter like this, I have no desire to ask her about the Rebels. And yet, I have no end to the questions I want to ask. Why is she an Organa? Where is Padmé? Leia is living proof that she did not die on Mustafar as my master has made me believe. So what happened to her? If she had survived Mustafar, what could have caused her to give up our child? Was she lied to about Leia just as I had been? Is she out there somewhere having mourned the death of her infant daughter just as I have mourned for her and our child for almost sixteen years? Or did the sudden, broken emptiness I felt when I took my first breath in this suit mark the death of my beloved? Does Leia even know her parents' names?

I had never called her or referred to her as just _Leia_. Doing so will feel shamefully foreign to me I realize, and will feel the same for her as well. But I have to use her name…just once. "Who was your mother, Leia?" I ask.

My daughter looks up at my mask, but there is no recognition in her face. "Breha Organa," she says quietly.

"No," I shake my head. "No. I mean your real mother. Your birth mother." I can hear the panic and desperation in my voice even through the voice simulator. I stroke her face as though hoping that will draw out the information I need. As I do so, I feel myself believing that this is just another interrogation. Not the one I thought I would be conducting an hour ago, but an interrogation nonetheless.

No, I cannot think like that. I am not going to hurt her. I will protect her. The Darkness cannot drag me down…at least I will not let it do so near my daughter. I will not hurt her as I did her mother, and I will not let myself think that I could hurt her. But I also need information to know what to do next.

"Leia," I try again, "who was your birth mother?"

She starts at her name this time, but then slips back into her compliant stupor. "I don't know," she says.

"What happened to her?" I feel desperate. If my daughter had survived Mustafar, maybe my angel had too. I need to find out what happened.

"She died."

Two words. Two simple words, but enough to almost shatter my world all over again. But she had be a baby. She couldn't have remembered. There might have been a mistake.

"What happened, Leia?" I ask, leaving the question wide open. In addition to forcing most prisoners to speak, the serum also keeps them from speaking when it is unnecessary. This question I hope will allow her to say everything she knows about her birth.

"My father fought in the Clone Wars" she says, "and was killed when Palpatine became the emperor. My parents thought that his death had something to do with my mother's. They told me that she tried to save him, but she was injured. He died when she was hurt, and she did not last much longer. She lived just long enough to give birth to me and name me. I was adopted by the Organas and taken to Alderaan in the next few days."

Her words cut deeper that I thought could ever be possible. Anakin Skywalker – that was the father she was told of. Not me.

Anakin Skywalker fought in the Clone Wars and was _destroyed_ when Palpatine became the emperor. Anakin Skywalker's death had _everything_ to do with her mother's. She tried to save him, but she was attacked. Anakin Skywalker died when I choked her, and according to my master, she did not last much longer and died on Mustafar from my attack. But according to my daughter, she lived just long enough to give birth to her and name her _Leia_. In the next few days, she too was no longer a Skywalker.

All my actions…blindingly obvious to those who know, yet mercifully hidden from my daughter. Every word carefully selected to shield her from the truth of the monster her father had become. In her mind, her father died a hero. Darth Vader had played no part in the destruction of her family. I silently thank the Organas for shielding her from this.

I ask her nothing more. I have no strength to do so. I sense that Leia is slowly becoming more aware of what is going on around her. I can feel her already carefully placed shields growing stronger. Before she can push me out entirely and keep it from be very effective, I reach gently into her mind again and push her back into unconsciousness. I then begin to build my own shields inside her mind, hiding the Alliance so that not even the emperor can find it as well as putting it farther from my own reach.

I wish with all my heart to take this mask off for just a moment. I have to leave, but I want to kiss my daughter before I go. I gently bring her face up to my mask – it is the closest thing to kissing her face that I can do right now. When I come back, I make sure I have the time it takes to remove the mask.

As I hold Leia, I feel a crushing sensation in my chest that I can't explain. It feels so familiar. It is painful, but not a kind of pain I ever felt as a Sith. Is it possible? Could it really be…?

I gently lay my child back on the bench. As I look into her sleeping face I know…

I love her. With every fiber of my being, I love my daughter. And I will do everything I can to protect her from Sidious. To my dying breath, I will protect my baby girl.

My Leia.

My angel's princess.


	2. The Space Battle

AN - Going back and working forward. I want to get Luke into the story, but my time line requires going back a couple days to give his part justice. I will be working forward from here up to the present day of chapter one.

I don't own Star Wars.

* * *

The Farmer

Two day earlier.

"See ya, Aunt Beru! I'm running to Anchorhead!"

"Wait, Luke!" my aunt calls after me.

I skid to a stop and she sticks her head out of the kitchen.

"Did Uncle tell you about the vaporator on the north side that needs fixing?"

"Yeah!" I say holding back the impatience that I feel. "Got it done, glanced up, saw a space battle, and gotta see who's at the power station to watch with me! Be back for dinner!"

As I take off again, I hear her mutter something about "Uncle Owen" and "head in the stars."

I know Uncle Owen won't be happy if he finds out that another space battle has managed to grab my almost-sixteen-year-old imagination, but I can't help it. I feel I was meant for the stars.

I'm in my speeder and racing towards Anchorhead at speeds that will get me grounded if either Aunt or Uncle hear of it...well, more grounded than I already am. I glance up at the ships I can still make out just above the atmosphere of this rock of a planet. Even from this far away, one is obviously an Imperial Star Destroyer, and from what I could tell with my binoculars from earlier, I think the other is a rather outdated make from Alderaan.

Even though the Empire generally stays off Tatooine, I have no love for Imperials. So I feel a little uneasy when I see the Alderinian ship has stopped firing.

I shake my head and try to focus on my flying. But I can't focus so I stop and look around to make sure there are no Sandpeople are in sight.

Why does this bother me? I don't really know anything about the smaller ship. For all I know, it may belong to a dangerous smuggler. At least, maybe I can convince myself that's what's going on.

Nope, I'd better just face it: That ship is an enemy of the Empire.

But for some strange reason, I feel drawn to the Star Destroyer. I can't explain it, but I feel like I need to be on that ship… that someone on the Star Destroyer needs me but doesn't know it. A moment later I feel the same draw to the Alderinian ship; this one is way weaker. I feel whoever is on that ship is in danger. Though my connection to that person is harder to sense (did I really just say that?), I feel very protective towards someone on the Alderinian ship and I want to keep her from whoever is on the Imperial ship.

I shake my head again and look back up at the ships. These things are too weird not to try and figure out. I feel that they are connected and that I'm connected to them too, but it makes no sense. And…

Wait a minute! How do I know one of them is a girl? She's my age, too! And the man on the Imperial ship is…as old as my father would have been. How do I know he's my father's age? Wait, I know who's on which ship!

Maybe I should talk to Old Ben. He says some weird things that seem to line up with these…abilities?

As I sit and think about this, I realize that something just feels right. I've always felt I've been missing something all my life, and sensing these people has made me feel complete in some way. But…no, it's not complete. Something's still missing. I close my eyes and I feel as though something in me is reaching towards the ships, trying to grab onto the girl and that man. But I reach past them, pushing my way past the ships. I can see the stars and the ships. But I try to find something farther away. At first I can't sense anything, then all of a sudden, an image pops into my mind:

A beautiful woman, with long dark brown hair and gorgeous matching eyes. That's it! She's what's missing!

But why? I've never seen her before. The image fades when I open my eyes. An angel. That's the only way I can describe her. I'd heard some Outer Rim pilots talking about them before, but I thought they were just nice stories.

I close my eyes again, but she's gone. So instead, I try to reach for the ships and the two people on them.

I see the girl first. I can't see her very well; I think she has a hood up. Slowly she comes into focus. As she turns her head to look around, I am able to catch a glimpse of her face. She looks just like the woman I saw a moment before! But I don't think they're the same girl.

I shake my head again, making her image leave and trying to see who's in the Star Destroyer.

My eyes snap open.

Vader!

That's just crazy. I can't be certain that Vader's on that ship. And why in the blazing desert would I feel connected to _him_.

Okay, that's it! I can't think about this right now. I'll see if I can sneak away from the farm in the next couple of days and try to track down Old Ben. But right now, I'm not even telling the others about the battle…not that any of them would really be interested anyway. I'll just go and hang out at the power station – maybe I can get those ten credits that Fixer still owes me from sabacc two weeks ago.

I start up my speeder again and get going. I speed into town heading for the power station. A woman yells at me about kids driving too fast as I race by. I jump from the speeder and run inside. As I head towards the back, I race past Fixer and Camie. A couple of my racing buddies, Deak and Windy, are in the back playing pool and I am more than ready to jump in and distract myself from the star battle for a while. It's still hard to shove it aside for now, but…

"Biggs!?"

I can't believe it. My best friend, off world for way too long and now he's here playing pool like he never left…well, I guess the uniform is out of place. We both smile and attack each other with a hug that a gudark could be proud of.

"I didn't know you were back!" I laugh. "When did you get in?"

"Just now," he says releasing me. "I wanted to surprise you, hot shot. I thought you'd be here...certainly didn't expect you to be out working."

We both laugh, knowing I'd rather be anywhere but working on a vaporator.

"The Academy didn't change you much," I say relieved, "but you're back so soon? Hey, what happened, didn't you get your commission?" I don't see why he shouldn't have, but he and I both being from the backwash of the galaxy, you never know.

But Biggs puts on an over exaggerated look of no-big-deal-I-got-this, and I know he does. "Of course I got it," he smiles. "Signed aboard the _Rand Ecliptic_ last week. First mate Biggs Darklighter at your service," he says saluting. "I just came to say good-bye to all you unfortunate landlocked simpletons."

All four of us laugh. But I snap out of it, remembering the star battle and realizing that, whatever my reasons, Biggs will never forgive me if I don't tell him about it. So after some wining from Deak, all four of us spill out of the back room and force Camie and Fixer outside the station with us. We all look up at the sky and I can hear Camie and Fixer complaining about how bright it is. Unfortunately, the ships aren't firing anymore and Camie almost breaks my binoculars trying to get a look at the stationary ships.

"Hey, easy with those," I snap grabbing them from her.

"Don't worry about it, Wormie," she snaps back. (I still don't know how I got that name.)

"I keep telling you," Fixer glares at me, "the Rebellion is a long way from here. I doubt if the Empire would even fight to keep this system. Believe me Luke, this planet is a big hunk of nothing."

I nod, but at the same time I get the feeling that this planet has somehow been important to the galaxy in the past… and it may be important to it in the future, too.

I look over my shoulder and realize everyone is heading back inside, and most of them are griping about my head being in the stars in a very Uncle-Owen-like manner. Biggs and I each grab a drink and head back outside to catch up in private. I never really fit in with anyone, and Biggs fit with everyone. So, naturally, we were each other's best friends and could tell each other anything – including dangerous racing stories that would get us band from flying forever even without the exaggerated versions we always tell each other.

"…So I cut off my power," I practically shout, waving my arms around and nearly spilling the drink I'm holding, "shut down the afterburners and came in low on Deak's trail. I was so close I thought I was going to fry my instruments. As it was I busted up the Skyhopper pretty bad. Uncle Owen was pretty upset. He grounded me for the rest of the season. You should have been there...it was fantastic."

"You ought to take it easy Luke," he tells me grinning. "You may be the hottest bushpilot this side of Mos Eisley,…" (I nod as though it's as obvious as saying Tatooine's hot) "…but those little Skyhoppers are dangerous. Keep it up, and one day – whammo! You're going to be nothing more than a dark spot on the down side of a canyon wall."

I choke on my drink, splashing some down my front. "Look who's talking," I quip, trying to dry off my tunic. "Now that you've been around those giant starships you're beginning to sound like my uncle. You've gotten soft in the city..."

Biggs laughs. "I've missed you kid."

"Well," I sigh, "things haven't been the same since you left, Biggs. It's been so...quiet."

We sit for a moment, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I come-to when Biggs looks around and leans close to me, a conspiratorial look in his eyes. I glance over my shoulder and lean in, too.

"Luke," he whispers, "I didn't come back just to say good-bye...I shouldn't tell you this, but you're the only one I can trust…" he glances over his shoulder to the door of the power station where we can hear the other working on something, "and if I don't come back," he continues, "I want somebody to know."

My eyes go wide. We've been friends for ages, but the fact that he trusts me – me, Luke Skywalker, the unpopular, orphaned, moister farmer's nephew – over the others in the group is a huge boost to my otherwise low self-esteem.

"What are you talking about?" I ask. What could Biggs be planning on doing that he might not come back from?

"I made some friends at the Academy," he tells me in a whisper, "when our frigate goes to one of the central systems, we're going to jump ship and join the Alliance..."

I don't believe it's possible for my eyes to get any wider, but I'm sure they're ready to fall out.

"Join the Rebellion?!" I shout, "Are you kidding! How?"

"Quiet down will ya!" Biggs snaps harshly. "You got a mouth bigger than a meteor crater!"

"I'm sorry," I cringe. "I'm quiet," I whisper. "Listen how quiet I am. You can barely hear me..."

Biggs looks down at his drink, shaking his head in disbelief before speaking quietly again. He tells me how he plans on getting in contact with the Rebellion, but if he can't find them he'll just start his own. We've always talked about it, but I still think he's crazy, and make sure to tell him so.

"Luke," he continues, "I'm not going to wait for the Empire to draft me into service. The Rebellion is spreading and I want to be on the right side - the side I believe in."

Joining the Rebellion – he's actually doing it! I can hardly believe it! We've talked about joining the Rebellion for years! But now he's actually doing it…

Out of nowhere, the face of the girl on the Alderinian ship pops into my mind and I know that she's a leader in the Rebellion. "And I'm stuck here..." I sigh.

"I thought you were going to the Academy next term," Biggs says trying to be encouraging. "You'll get your chance to get off this rock."

"Not likely!" I huff in response. Just like Biggs, I want to join so I can fight for what I believe in. But now I have even more reason to join: that girl means something, I just don't know what yet. And, once again, the life of a moisture farmer is getting in the way. The Sandpeople have been getting restless and cocky recently. And even though that's not too much of a problem for Uncle, he says he still needs me for one more season before the farm begins to pay off. "I can't leave him now," I tell Biggs, only half believing it myself.

"I feel for you, Luke," he says putting a brotherly hand on my shoulder. "You're going to have to learn what seems to be important and what really is important. What good is all your uncle's work if it's taken over by the Empire? You know they're starting to nationalize commerce in the central systems. It won't be long before your uncle is merely a tenant, slaving for the greater glory of the Empire."

I can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind before, but my roots are too rustic to let anything less than the glaring obvious make me worry. "It couldn't happen here," I tell him in a bored voice. "You said it yourself. The Empire won't bother with this rock."

"Things always change," he warns ominously.

"I wish I was going..." even I can hear the dejection in my voice. "Are you going to be around long?"

"No, I'm leaving in the morning..."

I can't believe it…he's really leaving…tomorrow. And I'm stuck here on this rock for at least one more season before I get to go to the academy for six months to a year for training, then going AWOL before getting assigned, and hope against hope that I can get in contact with someone who can get me in contact with the Rebellion. Best case scenario, I won't see Biggs again for another year. "Then I guess I won't see you."

"Maybe someday," he says, trying to be encouraging, "...I'll keep a lookout."

"Well," I say, trying to find something positive, "I'll be at the Academy next season...after that who knows. I won't be drafted into the Imperial Starfleet that's for sure...Take care of yourself, you'll always be the best friend I've got."

Even though I have a feeling I'll be seeing him again soon, I can't help but think about how lonely it was when he left the first time. Now he's leaving again and not likely to ever come back. He grabs me in a big hug. "So long, Luke."

He turns away and goes back to the power station and I make my way back to my speeder. I know I want more than anything to get out of here, but frankly, I hate change, and Biggs' leaving is the biggest change since Uncle Owen bought those "new" vaporators from the Jawas six years ago – and that was traumatizing. (I swear I couldn't get them to work to save my live, and I pretty sure they tried to kill me, too.)

I hop in the speeder and start heading home. At least Uncle won't come in for about an hour after I get there. Aunt Beru would be better company after everything that's happened today. Uncle Owen will just say that I need to get my head out of the stars, that it's just my imagination, if I ever think differently I'll be grounded for life, and that with Biggs not around to distract me maybe I'll actually get my chores done.

I smile as I pull the speeder into the garage. I know my uncle annoys me, but it's nice to know that there is someone out there who hates change even more than I do but who is also able to do something to keep thing relatively steady.

"Luke? Is that you?"

"Coming, Aunt Beru," I call back.

I walk into the kitchen to find her surrounded by pans and "instruments" that don't look familiar to me. I also find her taking advantage the calm day to use our sketchy holonet access to flip through some very brightly color images.

"What's all this?" I ask waving my arms around the usually tidy kitchen.

She glances up at me smiling. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what happens at the end of the week."

I look around at everything again, in no way cured of my confusion.

"WHAT!?" I shout as the lights come on – these are cake pans and icing tools!

Aunt's smile grows to match mine as I run over to look at the birthday cake designs she has pulled up on the holonet.

"B…but…but," I stammer, "you've… you've never made one this fancy." I feel my face grow red. Why would she want to go through this much trouble for her nephew's birthday?

She ruffs my hair and give me a hug. "Well," she says, pretending she is trying to figure that out for herself, "I think it might be that since I've had to put up with you for such a long time, there should be a little extra cake in it for me."

We each pull away while trying to tickle the other. Aunt laughs and pulls me back into a hug. "And…Sixteen is an important age, Luke," she tells me. "Just remember, the number is not important. Age doesn't mean maturity. And despite everything (including the Skyhopper), you're proof of that. You're growing into quite a young man and I am so proud of you. And" she says looking me in the eye, "these last sixteen years have been some of the best years of Uncle's and my life." She kisses me on the cheek, then swats the seat of my pants. "Now go get yourself cleaned up for dinner. Uncle said he'll be home early."

I kiss her on the cheek and run to do as asked. Despite wishing more than anything to have known my parents, I sometimes find myself wishing that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were my parents.

Suddenly, I see the girl from the ship again, but much younger…a dream I have been having for as long as I can remember. It's always the same, and I can never remember much afterwards except a lot of hugging and a lot of water… I think my father and a lake were involved. A girl was there, too. But I never like to think about it, because she made we wish for something I knew I could never have – a sister.

I never knew them, but I still miss my parents at times and what could have been. I hear Uncle Owen come in through the garage, and Aunt Beru knock over a pan in the kitchen. I look at myself in the mirror after washing up and notice that Aunt's lipstick has left a mark on my face. I miss my parents, but I wouldn't trade Aunt and Uncle for anything. I smile as I grab the towel to try and wash it off before making my way to the dining room.


	3. Leia's Cell

AN – Happy Star Wars Day :)! Just a short in-between chapter since I want to get Luke into the story, but it's taking longer to get him in than I originally wanted.

I don't own Star Wars

* * *

Later that day...

Star Destroyer _Devastator,_ hyperspace

The Princess

"Thanks," I bite sarcastically at the guard leaving my cell with the binders. I've already been in this cell for hours, and someone finally thought to free my hands.

I lean my head back against the wall and stare up at the ceiling. There isn't much to look at. The light coming from the floor is the only thing that breaks the monotony of the four durasteel walls, durasteel ceiling, and durasteel blast shield door. At least there is a bench along one wall. It's hard, but more dignified that sitting on the floor and more comfortable than standing the whole time.

I sigh, rubbing my sore wrists. _Force binders_ , I realize. I thought they had stopped making those at the end of the Clone Wars when all the Jedi were slaughtered. Any Force sensitive left in the galaxy, other than the Emperor and Vader, is usually impaled by Vader's lightsaber within hours of discovery, so there is really no point in having Force binders.

Vader.

My blood boils every time I hear that name. He has caused so much hurt in the galaxy claiming to serve the Empire and better the galaxy. Yet, even now, I'm sure he's taking me to that monstrosity of a "space station" that will "better" the galaxy by destroying any planet that opposes the Empire.

 _Find him R2_ , I plead silently. _Find Obi-wan_.

The Death Star plans which I have hidden in my droid are now the only hope the Alliance has of being able to stop the Empire. Until the Death Star is destroyed, anytime we oppose the Empire, it will retaliate by destroying the planet they assume we came from. Basically, we can't do anything until we know how to cripple or, better yet, destroy the weapon.

I feel certain that R2 is now on Tatooine, trying to find the old general. But I can't be certain he will find him. Obi-wan Kenobi has to be pretty old by now and, after living in Tatooine's harsh environment for nearly two decades, he probably isn't alive any longer.

But somehow, I know better. I know he is still alive. Call it a gut instinct, but he is down there…

Along with someone else?

I had the feeling as soon as my ship entered the system. Someone else is on Tatooine – someone who can help. I'm sure of it. I don't know who, but I feel I should know him. Or maybe I'm just going crazy.

Honestly, it that won't surprise me. When Vader ordered that I be taken away I felt the strangest sensations. I still have it now. It's more than fear – I think it's even past panic. But there's also a sense of acceptance – resignation. All I want to do is curl up and cry, hoping to wake up and find it was all a dream, and I would stop feeling this sense of…

Betrayal.

I feel betrayed by Vader. But he is always like this. In fact I am surprised he hasn't killed me already. And what has Vader done out of the norm to makes me feel this way?

And I know this imprisonment isn't the end of it.

I know how the Empire works…what they do with prisoners. I'll be questioned…tortured. I just pray I'm strong enough. I can't break. If I do, there is no hope for the Alliance and the galaxy will continue to suffer under the rule of the Sith… unless the Jedi can return.

The galaxy could use warriors like them. They were honorable, just, and didn't ask for anything in return. Granted their issue with relationships and family were a little off, but in some ways understandable. If a Jedi didn't have family, he wouldn't have to fear for them. No family, no chance for an enemy to use them. But family can also be a motivation. I know that during the Clone Wars, my father worked as hard as he could in his ring to make the galaxy safe for my mother. And he still does what he can to keep me and Mom safe now. I've followed in his footsteps, and I will do anything to protect my parents, my home, and the Alliance.

I wonder how my birth-parents helped to try to end the Clone Wars. But Mother and Father don't like to talk about them. All I really know is that the Emperor wanted my mother dead, so the more people who know where I came from, the more danger I am in.

I laugh, wondering how I could possibly be in any more danger than I am right now. The Emperor and Vader want me dead because of who I am; my mother has nothing to do with it now. But I still have value to them alive. So I'm sitting in the detention block of the _Devastator_ ; going to be transferred to the detention block of the Death Star; going to be interrogated; probably not going to be rescued; and if R2 gets to Obi-wan and my father, and a weakness is found, I am going to be blown to smithereens along with the Death Star.

On top of all this, I really think I am going crazy. I would think I would hope that Vader will be blown to pieces along with me, but part of me hopes he will make it. Why? Not only are we mortal enemies, but now I feel as though he's betrayed me by planning all this for me.

I need to get a grip on myself. I can't break. I can't betray the Alliance; to do so, would betray my family and everything I love.

 _Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi. You're my only hope._

* * *

AN - I want to get Luke into the story, but since it's taking longer to pull him in that I wanted, I figured I'd put in and in-between chapter about Leia before going back to Luke (and I wanted to post something for Star Wars Day). Right now the plan is one more chapter about Luke before getting back to Vader and Leia on the Death Star. May the 4th be with you :)!


	4. Dreams, Droids, and Disaster

The Farmer

"Luke! Come on. I want to get a jump on today's repairs before the Jawas get here."

I grab my pillow and pull it over my face as Uncle opens my bedroom door and flicks on the lights before leaving again. Reluctantly, I slide the pillow off my face and glare at the light fixture in the middle of my ceiling. I roll off the bed, pulling the sheet with me, and sit on the floor a minute trying to get the sleep out of my head. I had that dream again last night. But, like every other time I've had it, I can't remember the details now that I'm awake. I sigh, letting my lips smack together as I blow the air out of my mouth. I lean back on my arms and look up at the ceiling.

"Why can't I remember?" I ask to no one in particular.

I roll my head to the left and look out my window. I can see the smallest amount of light that means that the first sun up is still about a couple of hours away. Most people, not even a lifelong, generational farmer like Uncle Owen could see that light, but I've always been able to see things like this, be it sunrise, sandstorm, or Tusken raid. I just know it's coming right before it actually does. It seems like it's just instinct. And it also feels like instinct when I find myself trying to reach for that girl again – I'm looking at the stars and I can't help it. But she's not there…not that I really expected her to be. I can still sort of see her face, but it's fuzzy and indistinct now.

All of a sudden, I feel like something is trying to rip my mind apart. I grab my head, pull my legs up to my chest, and rest my head on my knees trying to wait out the headache. Everything seems to be spinning and falling apart around me. I feel like I'm trying to grab on to something…a memory… a thought… anything that will hold me stable.

Biggs – no, he's gone. The farm – no, it's being ripped away. Uncle and Aunt – no, they don't understand this kind of thing, and I feel them slipping away, too. My father – thinking about him always brought me comfort, but now I just feel darkness.

The only thing in all this chaos that doesn't seem to be trying to shatter like everything else is… the hazy image of the girl. It's slippery at first, but it's the only thought that isn't ripped away the moment I try and reach for it. I cling to it and keep my eyes shut tight trying to concentrate on it.

Suddenly, she comes into focus, but much younger:

She's sitting in the middle of a room playing with a doll or something. I walk over to her and throw a towel and swimsuit at her. She catches them, but not before they hit her in the face. Now she's standing up, hitting me back with the towel, and running out of the room. Next thing I know, we're racing towards a lake. Despite the idea of a large body of water being terrifying to me, my dream-self charges into the water trying to make a bigger splash than the girl. We have been splashing each other for a while, and now large, strong arms are wrapping around both of us and pulling us out of the water before falling over, dragging all three of us under the surface. He stands up again, arms still holding us in place, and walks back towards the shore where a dark haired woman stands with three huge towels. I can't see the woman's face clearly, but I know she's smiling. The man sets us down and the woman wraps us up in the towels. I look up at the man who shakes out his dark blond hair splashing the woman before wrapping his wet arms around her and kissing her. He lets her go, then looks at me and the girl with clear blue eyes and smiles, ruffing our hair. I see the woman is looking at me with a smiling face and tearful eyes. The girl and I are hugging each other and the woman bends down and kisses us on our foreheads. But everything goes black and I sit up as I open my eyes. I'm back on the floor of my room, but I still hear the woman's words as though she is right in front of me: "I wish."

My dream… I always knew my father was in it, but now I know my mother is, too. But how does the girl fit? Mom died when I was born, and I'm sure Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru would have known if I'd had an older sibling. But me and the girl are the same age in the dream.

The thought of a sister has always hurt. I've wanted one for as long as I can remember. But since my parents are dead, that's never going to happen.

I stand up, untangling myself from the sheet, roll it up, toss it back onto the bed, and get dressed. Somehow, I manage to wander into the dining room but my thoughts are anywhere but the repairs Uncle wants to get to.

Aunt Beru dishes me up some breakfast and sets the plate in front of me. I take a couple bites, but then just start shoving it around the plate. I slide the plate away and pull a mug of caf towards me. But I don't have any more luck with it than I did with my breakfast. I just stare at it and stir it absentmindedly.

I look up realizing that someone's talking to me. Uncle reaches a hand over and sets it on the back of my neck trying to see if I feel warm. "Luke, you feeling alright?" he asks, sounding concerned.

I look back at my mug. "I'll be fine," I mumble.

Uncle sits back and glances at Aunt. "Well," he says, standing up, "you finish your breakfast then help your aunt clear the table. I'm heading out. If you get done before the Jawas get here come and join me, okay."

"Okay," I respond, still not looking up.

He glances at my aunt again before heading for the garage and I hear the garage door close a couple seconds later. I'm now alone with Aunt Beru sitting across the table from me. I know they planned this. Aunt is able to keep her head on a bit more than Uncle does when it comes to problems with me. Uncle usually flies off the handle, whereas Aunt listens to the whole thing and thinks about it before responding. So they resort to this tactic: Uncle leaves, I talk with Aunt, I leave, Aunt uses the comm. and talks to Uncle, I get to Uncle and he's already calmed down and can talk to me without flying off the handle. It's a good system and it keeps me and Uncle from blowing up at each other.

I stir my caf around a couple more times before I look up at Aunt Beru, who is giving the smile she knows will make me want to talk. I look towards the kitchen and notice that all the cake making supplies are still spread out all over the counter.

"What's wrong, Luke?" my aunt asks.

I sigh and look back at my drink. "You remember that dream I told you about years ago?" I ask still not looking up.

"The one you said you thought was about you and your father swimming?"

I nod.

"You had it again?"

Another nod.

"You could remember it this time, couldn't you?"

Boy, she's good! "Yeah, I had it again last night. But I couldn't remember it when I first woke up, so I started thinking about…something else…something that happened yesterday on my way to Tashi station."

I tell her about what I felt or saw in the ships. I know Aunt is as confused about the girl and the woman as I am, but when I mention Vader, she turns kind of pale. I know he's the bad guy, but I don't really know what all he's done. Aunt and Uncle won't let me near the news so they know much more about him than I ever will… until I join the Alliance that is.

I tell Aunt how I woke up and couldn't remember the dream, how I got the headache when I thought of the girl, that she was the only thing that seemed to keep me from falling apart, and that she was what helped me remember the dream.

"I'm sure the man was my father," I tell Aunt Beru, "and I think the woman was my mother, but I don't know how the girl fits in. Maybe it's something that could have been if my parents had lived. The girl could have been an orphan from the Clone Wars… like me. I mean, my parents could have argued about what they thought I was going to be and decided to adopt whatever I wasn't. If they had lived… well… maybe this girl would have been my sister."

Aunt smiles sadly at me. I don't know when she did it, but sometime during my story she has moved her chair around beside me and is rubbing my back with one hand.

"Is there anything else?" she asks softly. "Or has this dream been getting to you for a while now?"

The dream has a lot to do with it, but definitely not everything. But talking about my cousin still hurts both of us.

"It's just…I've wanted a sister as long as I can remember," I tell her, trying to control my voice. "I've had the dream just as long, but no more than once every month or so, when I was younger." I sit up and try to dry my eyes. "When you got pregnant, I stopped having it. But after she died, I had it every night until I turned nine."

"And now?" she asks quietly, running her hand through my hair.

"At least once a week."

After a moment, Aunt Beru breaks the silence: "You would have made a great big brother, Luke, I have no doubt. Had both your parents lived, I'm sure they would have had many more children. Many things should be different than what they are, Luke. But we can't change that. All we can do is make the most out of what life deals us, even if we may not like it. You want to go to the Academy, to learn how to fight for and defend what you believe in. That would be much harder to do if you weren't in this situation now…"

I snort, Uncle Owen immediately coming to mind.

"…No, Luke, you listen to me! The position you are in allows you to leave and fight without fear of leaving many of those you love behind. When you are finally able to step up and take position in the front lines, you will be protecting other families from being torn apart. And eventually, you will build your own family, whether you marry and have your own children, or are close with those you meet in the fight. Maybe this girl you've seen is going to be the start of your new life. She may not be your sister now, but by golly if you meet her there is nothing standing in your way of being a brother to her! You treat her like a gentleman, and make sure others behave like gentlemen around her, too! Keep her safe from any scoundrel and nerfherder that looks her way, and who knows, maybe you'll be the young man to catch her eye. After all, Uncle treated me that way before we got married."

I laugh at her ideas, but they are definitely what I need to cheer me up.

"Now, finish your breakfast!" she snaps at me. "I don't want you fainting from hunger right in front of those Jawas this afternoon."

Just another day on the farm.

Uncle Owen and I wrestle with a few broken vaporators and actually manage to get a couple of them fully functional by lunch. Uncle doesn't say much today. He mostly keeps to his own work only giving me instructions now and then. He doesn't mention the call Aunt has given him and the only thing, other than silence, that tells me she has spoken to him is that he puts his hand on my shoulder while pretending to inspect my work.

We get back to the house in plenty of time to have a relaxed lunch before the Jawas get here. Finally we hear the Sandcrawler and Uncle Owen and I go to look at any potential droids they may have. Seriously, that Treadwell droid has got to go. Come to think of it, my speeder could use a bit of a tune up, too. Maybe I could head to the station and get some power converters once we're finished with the Jawas.

"Luke! Luke!" Aunt calls from inside. I run to the edge of the crater wall and look in. "Tell Uncle that if it gets a translator be sure it speaks Bocce."

"Doesn't look like we have much of a choice but I'll remind him," I call back.

On my way back to Uncle, I stop to look at the red R2 unit he plans on buying. Uncle is talking to a gold-colored, protocol droid farther along. Uncle seems pretty interested since it the droid claims to understand vaporators. I jump to remind him about needing a Bocce translator before he closes the deal.

"Do your speak Bocce?" he asks the droid.

Too late – he remembered. Back to the other droid.

"All right, shut up! I'll take this one," I hear Uncle say a moment later. "Luke, take these two over to the garage, will you? I want you to have both of them cleaned up before dinner."

Well…there goes my afternoon. "But I was going into Toshi Station to pick up some power converters."

"You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done," Uncle says. "Now come on, get to it."

"All right," I sigh, looking at the protocol droid, "come on. And the red one, come on," I call. A couple metallic explosions later, and no more Red. I take a glance inside the busted droid – bad motivator.

"Hey!" Uncle turns on the Jawa he is about to pay, "what're you trying to push on us?"

While they are getting into their argument, the gold droid taps me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir," he says in what sounds like a very uppity accent, "but that R2 unit is in prime condition. A real bargain."

I look at the blue R2 unit. Well, he looks better than the red one, so I point him out to Uncle. He barely glances at it before turning back to the Jawa and making the exchange. As the blue one is coming towards us, the gold one is telling me how great this droid will be.

I lead them towards the garage and I can hear the gold one complaining about something to the blue one. These guys are either going to be great entertainment, or drive me up the wall. I have a feeling that either way I'd better learn how to tune them out or eventually they _will_ drive me up the wall, entertaining or not. Once in the garage, I plug the R2 unit in for charging and get the gold one in an oil bath. I tinker with the Skyhopper for a while, then lose interest and grab one of my many model ship that clutter up the workbenches. This one is a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle – Imperial, but you take what you can get out here. I sit on the work bench, fly it around, and find myself thinking of Biggs. _He'll probably be shooting these things down any day now_ , I think in frustration.

"It just isn't fair!" I shout out loud. "Oh, Biggs is right – I'm never gonna get out of here!"

"Is there anything I might do to help?" the gold droid speaks up.

"Well," I say, grabbing a tool and beginning to scrape at the grime on the blue droid, "not unless you can alter time, speed up the harvest, or teleport me off this rock!"

"I don't think so, sir," he says sounding a little confused at my sarcasm. "I'm only a droid and not very knowledgeable about such things. Not on this planet, anyways. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on."

"Well," I say, deciding that being sarcastic to this droid could be really entertaining, "if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from."

"I see, sir."

 _Okay, maybe not that entertaining._ "Uh, you can call me 'Luke,'" I tell him.

"I see, sir Luke."

 _Amusing comes to mind._ "Na, just 'Luke,'" I laugh.

"Oh. And I am C-3PO," he says, coming out of the bath, "human-cyborg relations, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2."

"Hello," I say looking up at the blue droid, giving a half wave. He bleeps back as though saying "hello."

I go back to my scraping. "You got a lot of carbon scoring here," I say, digging harder at it. "It looks like you boys have seen a lot of action."

"With all we've been through," 3PO complains, "sometimes I'm amazed we're in as good condition as we are, what with the Rebellion and all."

My tool slips, and I jump up, spinning towards the taller droid. "You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?!" I shout so fast I'm not sure even he can translate it.

"That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, sir."

I don't, but who cares? These droids know of the Rebellion! And judging by what a mess they are…

"Have you been in many battles?" I ask.

"Several, I think," 3PO replies, not sounding nearly as excited or interested as I am. I go back to scraping away at R2 while 3PO continues, but I ignore him.

I reach down and grab a larger tool. "Well, my little friend," I say to R2, "you've got something jammed in here real good. Were you on a star cruiser or..."

CRACK!

I fall back, landing hard on my side. He zapped me! I sit up ready to yell at the droid, but a holo-projection is standing in front of him.

" _Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope,_ " a girl's voice says rather desperately.

"What's this?" I ask, looking between the droid and the image.

While waiting for the answer I'm wanting, I practice tuning out their argument while looking at the projection. The entire image has a blueish tint, but I can still tell the figure is dressed completely in white. She pleads, " _Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope,_ " looks behind her, bends down as though making an adjustment on something outside the holo-recorder's range, turns to static, then repeats her plea – over and over, again and again.

"Oh, he says it's nothing, sir," 3PO says to me. "Merely a malfunction. Old data. Pay it no mind."

"Who is she?" I ask. "She's beautiful." I feel I should know her from somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it. The hood she is wearing is no help either.

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir," 3PO replies, while the girl's message continues. "I think she was a passenger on our last voyage. A person of some importance, sir – I believe. Our captain was attached to..."

"Is there more to this recording?" I interrupt the droid, once again tuning them out again until I get my answer.

Apparently the message and R2 belong to a local named Obi-Wan Kenobi, but the only Kenobi I know is Old Ben. Well, I wanted to find him sometime anyway. But judging by the desperation in the girl's voice, I may not be able to wait. When I try to make an adjustment, R2 freaks out. He thinks the restraining bolt is causing the malfunction. I remove it since I figure he's a bit too small to try anything.

Guess again, Skywalker.

As soon as it's off, the girl disappears.

"Well, wait a minute," I say. "Where'd she go? Bring her back! Play back the entire message."

R2 makes an innocent sounding bleep that earns a lecture from 3PO. Just when I'm ready to smash their heads together, Aunt's call for dinner saves them.

"…see what you can do with him," I hand 3PO a tool and head for the door. "I'll be right back."

Dinner is not what I need right now.

Uncle and I have another fight. Well… a couple of fights.

First, I mention that R2 might be stolen and that leads to an argument about Kenobi, both Ben and Obi-wan. Now I'm forbidden to go near Ben, I need to get R2's memory wiped, and Obi-wan may have known my father.

Second, I suggest that with the new droids, Uncle might not need my help so much and I could go to the Academy next semester. This time, instead of just giving me another list of orders, Uncle actually tries to reason with me about how much he needs my help. This is the only subject which gets this reaction from him. He really doesn't want me to go.

"But it's a whole 'nother year," I sigh.

"Look, it's only one more season," he replies calmly.

This time, I'm the one who snaps. "Yeah," I gripe, shoving my chair back and standing up to leave, "that's what you said last year when Biggs and Tank left."

"Where are you going?" Aunt asks sounding concerned.

"It looks like I'm going nowhere," I huff. "I have to finish cleaning those droids." I leave the dining room wondering if this day could get any worse.

I step outside and watch as the suns begin to set before turning into the garage. It's dark as I step inside and there is no sign of the arguing droids I left here. I pull the restraining bolt remote from my belt and activate it. With a yell of surprise, 3PO appears behind the busted Skyhopper.

"What are you doing hiding back there?" I ask, confused by his behavior.

"It wasn't my fault, sir," he whimpers. "Please don't deactivate me. I told him not to go, but he's faulty, malfunctioning; kept babbling on about his mission."

"Oh, no!" Apparently this day can get worse. I run outside, 3PO in tow, and scan the horizon with my binoculars.

"How could I be so stupid?" I wonder out loud. "He's nowhere in sight. Blast it!" And with all the Sandpeople, I can't do anything about it until the morning.

Now this day can't get any worse.

* * *

AN - Done with Luke for now. Next chapter – getting back to a very nervous father. It will pick up right where Chapter 1 left off and continue moving forward from there.


	5. To Name a Child

AN – Here we go! Back to Vader. This picks up the timeline immediately after Chapter 1. If I'm right, this is the longest chapter I've written so far.

As cool as that would be, I'm afraid I don't own Star Wars.

* * *

The Death Star

The Slave

"No one is to enter the Princess's cell without my leave. Monitor her with the recording devises only, and tell me immediately when she awakes. Until then, I am not to be disturbed."

I storm out of the detention block leaving a wake of confusion and fear behind me.

All I have heard is too much for me to take in right now, and I am afraid it has left me in no state to speak without letting slip what really happened in the cell. I decide to retire to my chambers and meditate before giving my report to Tarkin.

As I make my way towards my personal chambers, I make it perfectly clear in my stride that I am furious. I only need to pass one officer in this manner to know that word will spread, telling everyone that the Dark Lord is not to be crossed. I am not as angry as my mannerisms suggest, but right now I need everyone to leave me alone with my thoughts.

I reach my chambers and lock the doors. Knowing that not even Tarkin will be stupid enough to disturb me right now, I remove my mask.

Even injuries such as mine could not go almost sixteen years without healing.

I had hurt myself plenty of times before Mustafar, had treatment, and had been fully healed a few weeks later. So despite my master's assurance that the mask and suit where the only way to survive my injuries, I had searched for alternatives and found them. A surgery here, a healing trance there (both of which are considered by my master as weak Jedi tricks), and for more than ten years I have had no physical need of the image that the galaxy knows as Darth Vader. However, the suit and mask were left fully functional since I did not know how often I could remove them.

Of my master's original "repairs," only the prosthetic legs where left unaltered since fixing them would change my height and my gait – the only physical changes the suit cannot hid. I now wear the mask and suit only to hide from my master the fact that I have healed myself. They serve no other purpose than to hide from him my most blatant disobedience. A facade to hide that I found his lie.

After removing my mask, I run my gloved hand through my sweat drenched hair.

My daughter is alive. It is too beautiful to believe. And yet too terrible not to believe. To have a part of Padmé back, even a memory without pain, has seemed impossible. But since the possibility is there, I feel I can't do anything but run to it.

I sink to the couch, lean my head back and stare at the ceiling.

A chance to have a part of Padmé back, but to face the consequences of my past – the pain is overwhelming.

 _"Ani, I'm pregnant."_

 _"I'll never stop loving you…"_

 _"This baby will change our lives."_

 _"You are going down a path I can't follow."_

 _"He keeps kicking."_

 _"Stop, stop now._

 _"It's a boy. I know it."_

 _Come back! I love you."_

The words haunt me to this day. For five months, I had been a father and had not known it. For two and a half months I looked forward to being able to hold the little girl I knew was in there for the first time. But I also dreaded it, not knowing if Padmé would be holding our little Leia with me; or if I would be holding her alone, trying to find comfort from her mother's death.

 _And you brought about her mother's death._

I lean forward and put my head in my hands. It has been a long time since I have let my mind wander to Padmé. I always shove the thoughts back. They don't belong to me – not anymore. They belonged to Anakin Skywalker. Skywalker loved her…Vader killed her.

 _"Ani, feel this_."

I pull my head up and look to my left, but she's not there. I close my eyes, ready to sink back into misery, to fill the emptiness with the Darkness…

 _"He keeps kicking," she says sounding both excited and worried._

 _"He? Why do you think it's a boy?"_

 _Laughter. "My motherly intuition."_

I see her.

 _She is sitting next to me on the couch in our apartment on the Imperial Center. The way she is sitting, her pregnancy is obvious, even with the thick, formless gown she is wearing. I feel her hand take my flesh one and place it on her stomach._

 _I am in shock as I feel gentle movement beneath my hand before a sharp, swift kick makes both me and Padmé jump._

 _"Whoa!" I smile with pride. "With a kick that strong, it's got to be a girl."_

I hear Padmé's laugh once more before the scene dissolves.

But it's not the end.

The scene merely changes and I see the lights of the nighttime traffic.

 _I am sitting on the couch I had moved to the balcony that evening and Padmé is leaning against me, both of us absentmindedly rubbing the large bump that is our child._

 _"You know Ani," Padmé says, shifting so she is on her back a bit more, "I've been thinking – we need to pick out a name for this little one."_

 _"Oh?" I ask, now running my hand through her hair. "What did you have in mind, Angel?"_

 _"Well," she says attempting to sit up so she can face me, "I think that since we're going to have a boy, you should pick out his name. And_ if _, on the off chance we get that little girl we're not going to have, I think I should get to name her. That way both of us gets to pick something for him."_

 _"Don't you mean 'her'?"_

 _"I mean whoever it is, and you know it," she says, hitting my arm. "'Him' is just a neutral. I don't think I could handle a 'them' the first time around."_

 _"'First time around'?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow._

 _"Well," she says sounding a little flustered, "I wasn't thinking this would be our only child."_

 _I laugh quietly. "Me neither," I sigh happily. "But if you could handle a planet at fourteen, I'm sure you'll manage multiple children at one time, even the first time around."_

 _"Do you think there might be more than one?" she asks looking at her belly with something between hope and concern._

 _"Do you want me to find out?" I ask uncertainly. Since our first argument about what gender the child would be, we decided we would wait to find out, and sensing how many would be difficult without sensing gender._

 _"No!" she says shaking her head quickly. "We want it to be a surprise, remember?"_

 _"Alright! Alright!" I say, holding my hands up in surrender at the harshness in her voice. "So, you want me to pick a name for the boy we're not going to have?" With her being pregnant, I know I'm pushing my luck teasing her like this, but I can't help it. Fortunately, she only playfully hits my arm again._

 _"Yes! That what I said, isn't it!" she snaps, hitting me with a cushion for good measure._

 _"Would you give me some suggestions?"_

 _She looks down at her hands and chews her bottom lip. "Well," she says hesitantly, "I always wanted to name him 'Anakin.' But with our marriage…well…you know." She sighs._

 _I am too stunned to speak for a moment. "Y…you wanted to name him after me?"_

 _"Of course I do! Anakin, you mean everything to me. But if we want to have any chance of keeping our relationship secret… I think it would be best if you picked something soon, because right now I can only think of him as 'Anakin.'"_

 _"Alright, Angel, alright" I smile, taking her face in my hands, "I'll pick something out for our little boy."_

 _I lean my head back against the couch and Padmé leans against me again._

 _"There's actually a name I've always liked," I tell her quietly._

 _"Hm," she acknowledges, prompting me to continue._

 _"I always thought that if I had a son…" I trail off._

 _"Ani," Padmé sits up, "are you trying to put me on edge?"_

 _"No sweetheart," I say shaking my head. "It's just that. It…it's hard to talk about," I finish lamely._

 _"Ani, what is it?" she asks, concern in her eyes. "I've only ever seen you like this when something reminds you of…oh," she says quietly, realization sinking in. "It's something from Tatooine, isn't it? From when you were a slave?"_

 _I cringe at the last word, but nod._

 _"If it hurts so much, why give our child a name that reminds you of it?"_

 _"Because," I say looking up at the sky instead of at her, "This is something I don't want to forget."_

 _I sit up, propping my forearms on my legs so that I'm looking out at the cityscape._

 _"You remember I told you my mother and I used to be slaves to Gardulla the Hutt… before Watto won us?"_

 _"Yes," she says, rubbing her hand across my back._

 _"Well, there was another slave I remember there. He was a little younger than my mom, but he was always trying to help her, protect her. He even took several beatings for her. He was always kind to both of us. Before Obi-wan, he was really the only father figure I had in my life."_

 _"So what happened?"_

 _"I'm not sure. I remember something about a couple of speeder crashes, and he either went missing or lost his memory…I don't know. But something about it didn't_ feel _right. Somehow I think he had been in the way of Gardulla being able to get rid of me and Mom."_

 _I sigh and lean back on the couch again. "I don't remember him well, but I remember he cared for me and played with me as often as he could. He was kind, and caring, and everything I wish I could…should be…as a Jedi, and a husband, and a father."_

 _"What was his name?"_

 _I take a deep breath. "Luke," I say. "His name was Luke."_

 _"Luke," she repeats thoughtfully, eyes glazed over with dreamy happiness._

 _Her gaze shifts to her belly. "Luke," she whispers again, "Oh, Ani! It's perfect!"_

 _I smile and place my hand on her stomach. For a moment I imagine a little boy with my shaggy blonde hair and ice blue eyes but Padmé's heart climbing up on the couch beside us. I shake my head and pull my hand away before I can actually reach out and find whether the child really is a boy._

 _"So," I ask Padmé, breaking her out of her own reverie, "what shall we name this little princess of ours?"_

 _"You mean what are we going to name his little sister?"_

 _We both laugh for a moment before Padmé sits up and begins to fiddle with her hands in her lap._

 _"Ani," she says slowly, "I know you've wanted to name a girl Shim ever since we got married, and I want to name a daughter after you mom, too. But…" She trails off for a moment before continuing, "Well, you see, there was this name I've loved almost all my life and I've wanted to name a daughter it ever since I was twelve."_

 _"Angel," I say, putting my hand on her face and making her look at me. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be perfect for out little princess."_

 _She chews her lip but doesn't say anything._

 _"Why do you like it, Padmé?" I ask, trying to draw her out._

 _"Well…It's Alderaanian. When I was little, before I got into politics, my family and I would go on holiday with Bail's and Breha's families in the mountains on Alderaan. Every time we went, we always made sure to have at least one picnic in the meadow on Master's Blood Peak."_

 _"Sounds like a charming place," I comment._

 _"The meadow is, but the mountain isn't, especially if you're a cruel master or a tyrant. Legend says that a thousand years ago, before the Republic, Alderaan was…well…not the same." She falls silent for a moment._

 _I've never seen her this nervous before and she's never been at a loss for words. "Sweetheart," I coax, "what is it?"_

 _"It…it was…" she stutters. "Oh, Ani," she sobs, "there slaves were everywhere."_

 _"WHAT?" I can't believe what I am hearing. Alderaan – one of the most peaceful planets in the Galaxy despite the war, setting an example to the Galaxy for treating everyone as equal – was a cruel slave center a thousand years ago._

 _"I'm sorry, Ani," she pleads, "but it's part of the story, and I don't know how to tell it any other way."_

 _I take a deep breath trying to steady myself. "Alright," I say, still gritting my teeth._

 _"Well," she starts hesitantly, "any slave who ran away was always found and punished severely," she says, sounding more like she's reciting the story than telling it for herself. "Many slaves who ran hid in the mountains and were either found and killed by their masters or died on the rocky slopes. No matter where they went or what happened, they were always brought back as examples. One day, a Jedi sensed the suffering of the planet and wanted to find a way to save them. She helped some slaves run away, but she couldn't get them all away from the planet. She decided the best place for them was the mountains of Alderaan._

 _"They say she found the largest mountain on the planet and used the Force to carve it into a sharp peak whose sided were completely smooth. The only parts that she didn't smooth out were the tops of the jagged and sharply pointed rocks. A little over half way up this death trap, she leveled an area between the side of the mountain and the sharp crags. She broke up the rock into soil on the plane and grew many kinds of grass and flowers that weren't native to Alderaan. She also carved out a single small footpath that could only be found by those who needed protection. When it was done, she led a band of slaves up the path to the meadow. The flowers she had grown served as their food, the crags in the cliff above them served as shelter from rain and the smaller crags that hid the meadow from sight below blocked the wind. The only thing the meadow didn't have was a source of water. But slaves and other oppressed people continued to climb to the meadow every day._

 _"One day, the slave owners and bounty hunters realized where all the slaves were going and planned an attack to kill all of them in one blow. The people watched over the edge of the meadow as their masters began to climb. But because of the protection the Jedi created for the slaves, the mountain was treacherous for the masters. Each and every one of them died before climbing half way to the meadow._

 _"While all the people were distracted by their masters, a young girl and boy turned away and saw the Jedi sitting on the other side of the meadow. Her eyes were closed and she had her legs crossed under her. I guess she was meditating. When the boy and girl stood in front of her, a small circle of ground began to swell between them and fresh water began to trickle out of it. When the Jedi opened her eyes, they were dull and tired. Everything that she'd done to protect them was finally taking its toll on her and after drilling the spring she was dying. She touched both children's faces and told them to remember her sacrifice and pass on her wisdom. Then she simply vanished in a wisp of blue smoke. The only thing left was her cloak which fell on top of the spring. When the children picked it up, the spring was flowing so strong that a stream was beginning to flow along the meadow._

 _"Years later, the two children led their people back down the mountain. Without the slaves, the master and bounty hunters had tried to turn each other into slaves. By the time the freed slaves returned, the masters were almost completely destroyed. The freed people and the slaves who hadn't escaped were strong enough to take the planet. By this time, the boy and girl had grown up and after their success in taking the planet, they married and became the king and queen." Padmé chuckles a little at this point and actually looks up at me. "In fact, all the best kings and queens of Alderaan came from their line, including Bail's and Breha's families."_

 _Padmé smile falters again and she looks back down at her hands._

 _"But they never forgot the Jedi who saved their people," she continues. "They named the meadow after her." Padmé pauses stroking her stomach._

 _"What do you want to name her, Angel?" I ask, my eyes on our child, too._

 _"Well," she sighs as I wrap my arm around her so she can lean against my side again. "Leia," she says, at last, "it's Leia."_

 _"Leia," I say thoughtfully. But before I can say anything else, she continues._

 _"The Jedi's name was Leia and the mountain was called Master's Blood Peak since no tyrant could climb it. And the children named the meadow Leia's Nest because she made it a home and, since she died there, it was more her home than anyone else's."_

 _"Leia," I repeat, leaning back and pulling Padmé closer with one arm. "That's…" I stop trying to think of the right word. As I try to describe her name, an image of a dark haired, chocolate eyed princess running across the balcony, hair falling out of the two buns on either side of her head greets me. "…Beautiful," I breathe._

 _I feel Padmé sigh with relief. "You really think so?" she asks, tears in her eyes._

 _"Of course, Angel," I assure her, kissing her forehead. I put my hand over our child. "It's perfect for our little princess."_

 _She smiles sitting up so she can kiss me properly._

 _She settles back down next to me and we sit quietly, Padmé looking down at her stomach and me looking up at the nighttime traffic._

 _"Ani?" she asks a few minutes later._

 _"Hm."_

 _"What if we name our boy Luke Anakin and if we have a girl we name her Leia Shmi?"_

 _I like the sound of that, but I stop and think for a minute before saying anything._

 _"Ani?" Padmé asks again, probably thinking I've fallen asleep._

 _I sigh to let her know I'm awake. "What we just have more children?" I ask her slowly._

 _She jumps slightly and sits up. "You mean…" her shaking voice asks, "you mean we have a Luke… a Leia… an Anakin… and a Shim?"_

 _"We won't have to stop there, Angel."_

 _"Y… you really do want more than this one, Anakin?"_

 _"Of course!" I say taking her both her hands in mine. "Angel, any child we have will be another blessing – another reason for me to end this war – another gift I will never be able to thank you enough for."_

 _I hold both her hands in one of mine and bring my other hand to her face, closing my eyes as I kiss her._

I open my eyes again, but she is no longer there. I am back on the Death Star – alone in my quarters. Padmé and our dreams of those other three children are dead. And the daughter who I should have been there to hold and comfort since her birth, is locked several floors below and hundreds of corridors away from me, suffering from the drug I ordered her to be injected with, and seeing me as nothing more than a heartless monster.

A sob chokes me. I find that I am kneeling on the floor, my hands clenched into fists, my forehead on the ground. Tears are stream down my face and soak the rug. I am sobbing as I haven't done since my mother died.

"Padmé," I choke. "Oh, Padmé, Leia, forgive me."

I can see their face, identical chocolate eyes staring at me with fear – orange fire surrounding Padmé and black durasteel surrounding Leia.

Why did I do it? How could I have choked the life out of the one person who meant everything to me, and leave the child who meant everything to us to be raised by someone I hardly knew? All those years believing my child was dead at my hand when she was alive and well…learning to hate me. And with good reason.

 _"It seems in your anger, you killed her."_

 _"I couldn't have? She was alive! I felt her!"_

Leia confirmed half of what my master had said – Padmé was dead.

But if Padmé had died from my attack on Mustafar, I would have killed Leia with her. I left her side, but I knew she was still alive. Even when I was burning, when my master was having me "rebuilt," I could feel her – her light being the only thing that kept me from giving up. Then it was gone…she was gone. But now that I think about it, I am sure that in some way, I still sensed her all those years. The presence wasn't the same, but there was still something that was unmistakably Padmé in it.

Was that Leia? Or had Padmé survived…somehow. What if Padmé is out there somewhere?

Captured by my master?

In a coma?

Hiding…from me?

 _She died_ – that is what Leia had said. But what if she didn't? Leia couldn't possibly know! She was just a new born!

But what if Leia does know? Could a bond between mother and child form so early? What if…what if Padmé has raised Leia? And Organa is just a cover? If she survived, she could never have given up our child, no matter how much she trusted her friend. The child meant as much to her as to me. But there was a time when I could sense Padmé from across the galaxy. Obviously at least Leia was hidden from me, but perhaps Padmé knew they could not be in hiding together – that together I would find them. Did Padmé give up raising our child to keep her hidden from the Darkness? From me? Has she spent the last sixteen years separated from Leia because of my actions?

But back in the detention block – when Leia said her birth mother was dead – I sensed truth in her words. She truly believes that her mother…my angel…is dead.

I stand up and begin to pace, tears still streaming down my face. It has been a long time since I have allowed myself to feel anything akin to hope. But now… just as my dreams all those years ago drove me from hope, my daughter's very existence has driven me to it.

 _I will find you, Padmé. Whatever happened, I will find you._

I don't know what I will find – a sworn enemy, a grave, my wife.

 _I will find out what happened to you, Padmé. And I swear, no one will touch our daughter – not Tarkin… not my master… and not my Darkness._

* * *

AN – In case you are wondering, yes, I made Luke and Leia a few years younger than the movie. This is partly because Mark Hamill was about 25 when _A New Hope_ was released, but he looked like he could have been around 17, give or take a couple years. Also, I just like the idea of the Skywalker twins being teens through the entire series. Before looking stuff up, I actually thought it was possible that Luke was 15 in Ep. IV, 17 in Ep. V, and 19 in Ep. VI. Leia just looked early twenties the entire time to me. And Han is the same scruffy looking nerf herder the whole time. But then again, we all knew that.

'Til next time...


	6. Memories Better Left Alone

AN: I'm so sorry this has taken so long. I was hoping to get this out months ago, but I never got the motivation I needed to actually edit this thing. Note to self: don't type most of a chapter then rewrite it on paper without the original in front of you, otherwise you end up with two versions of detail that you love but have no idea how to mesh together without deleting huge chunks. That kind of makes me reluctant to deal with what I've written, but I finally managed to get both versions to work together (I hope).

* * *

The Slave

"Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable," I report calmly to Tarkin. "It will be some time before we can extract any information from her." I see no sense in telling Takin that he will never get the information he wants from her, but stalling him by making him believe that she is slowly weakening will give me time to formulate an escape plan.

I am truly impressed by Leia's abilities. She is obviously untrained and weak (I had not even felt she was Force-sensitive until I knew she was my daughter), but her shields are almost flawless. I am sure if I had pushed harder and long enough I could have broken through some of her shields, but I am also sure I would never have found enough accurate information on the Rebellion to do it any permanent damage.

Just then, one of Tarkin's officers approaches, effectively interrupting our meeting so as to take the Grand Moff's mind off my daughter…I hope.

"The final check-out is complete," he reports. "All systems are operational."

 _About time_ , I think to myself.

"What course shall we set?" the officer asks calmly, but I can sense his eager excitement over the prospect of finally revealing this technological terror.

Tarkin considers only a moment before speaking to me. "Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion."

"What do you mean?" I snap, realizing he would not be so easily distracted from the subject of breaking my daughter.

I feel my panic rising. Tarkin is just as cruel as I am. But I am blunt; he is sharp and precise. If he gets to Leia there is no knowing what carefully crafted terror she will have to endure. He will rip her to shreds, keeping her whole but leaving behind irreparable wounds and raw nerves whose sting will never lessen with time. It is a psychological game for which I will never have the patience to plan, and one I hope to save my daughter from.

"I think it is time we demonstrate the full power of this battle station." Tarkin turns to the officer, "Set your course for Princess Leia's home planet of Alderaan."

"With pleasure," the officer replies and walks away.

* * *

Panic…complete and utter panic.

That is the only way I can describe how I feel as I wander through the corridors of the Death Star. I am numb to all else. I know she will never tell anyone the location of the Rebel base. But faced with this…I do not see how she can refuse. Outright refusal cannot possibly be an option for her at this time. But what will she say?

If she is like her mother in more than just her looks, she adores her home planet. And even if that is not the case, those who she calls family are there. Leave it to Tarkin to find the cruelest way to inflict pain. I am desperate to find a way to help her, but if she refuses to cooperate, there will be no time.

I look up and realize that I have wandered into one of the detention areas – Detention Block AA23. My mind often wanders here, even more so since I received word that Leia had woken up. But I have not actually been here since the "interrogation" early this morning.

I brush past the guards, using the Force to convince them to ignore my presence and to shield myself from those I cannot so easily manipulate. I walk to Leia's cell but I do not go in. I have already formed a strong bond with her and can feel her muted Force-signature in there. She is asleep, but just barely. If I were to walk in at this moment she would surely wake up. I do not want that just yet. I just want her to sleep and forget – forget where she is, what she fears may happen, and…me. I want more than anything to look into my little girl's eyes again, but I know I will only see fear and resentment. She could never see me as her father, never reconcile me to the man she was told was her father. The man she told me about – Anakin Skywalker.

I am shaken out of my thoughts as I feel her slip into an uneasy, dream-troubled sleep. I close my eyes and allow her dream to spill across our bond so that I share it. Before I realize what is going on, the dream has crashed into me and I cannot stop it. It carries me with it. The disjointed images are terrifying by themselves, but given the context…

I sense my daughter's fear and confusion at some of the images. Even in her sleep her rational mind is questioning the dream. But I can't stop the images or the raw emotions.

 _Heat, fire, darkness. Noise – a loud, terrifying noise. Sobbing. Pain. Heartbreak. All seeming disconnected yet all blending together._

 _A pair of eyes. They are supposed to be blue. Now they look like the fire. But the fire is alive, these eyes are dead and lifeless._

 _Then just darkness. The pain and heart break are still there, but the fire is gone. And so are the eyes._

 _That is where the pain comes from – I won't see the eyes again._

 _But that doesn't make sense. The eyes were what started the pain, they caused the hurt._

 _Cold, white light, noise. Screaming, sobbing, crying…comforting._

 _My cries mingle with another's._

 _A man holding me._

 _The confusion stops. A calm settles on me even though I still feel myself crying._

 _A woman is stroking my face._

 _She is very beautiful. Kind, but sad._

 _She has my eyes._

 _"Leia," she says. Her voice is strained, full of love and heartache._

 _The woman is still stroking my face, but she looks at the man holding me._

 _The pain returns. I feel her will to live even as it is forced away. I reach out to feel who is taking it._

 _I feel it. Darkness. It's taking her away. She wants to live, but it won't let her. It hates her. It wants something else to live. Another Darkness, but I know this one. I don't know what it is but it feels familiar. It's dying but the bigger Darkness won't let it._

 _"Obi-wan, there's good in him."_

 _I try to save her._

 _"I know there's still…"_

 _A breath._

 _One last sob._

 _Darkness._

I recoil as the dream ends and my daughter wakes in a panic. Once again, my heart torn to shreds. Behind my mask I feel the tears running down my face. How does my daughter sleep at night?

Her skills in the Force are almost nonexistent, yet somehow, she had formed a bond with her mother near the time of her birth. Just as Leia's dream spilled across our bond, so her mother's memories spilled across theirs and allowed our daughter to keep her own memories of that day. As much as I hate the suit, I am grateful for its breathing regulator as it helps hide the sobs that are wracking through my body.

Leia remembers her mother.

I don't know what to feel. There is too much to feel.

Leia remembers Padmé.

More of Leia's thoughts sink in and once again I am hit by the knowledge that I did not kill my beloved.

 _It's taking her away. She wants to live, but it won't let her. It hates her. It wants something else to live._

I should have died that day on Mustafar. My injuries were more than anyone should have been able to survive. I was dying, I had nothing to live for. Padmé was alive, she had our child to live for. Yet our places were switched. I lived, and Padmé died. The Sith legend my master told me all those years ago suddenly makes sense. He used that power to keep me alive, but to do so, had to take life from another. Padmé's will to live for the sake of our child resides in me, forcing me to continue where I should have ended long ago. Giving me a reason to live even when I did not know what that beautiful reason was. Congratulations, my master: Using my wife's stubborn will to insure you keep you most loyal slave indefinitely.

Cursing my life, I stand with my fists clenched, trying to avoid destroying the entire cell block in my rage. Then my Angel's last words sink in and I can barely keep myself shielded against my master.

" _Obi-wan, there's good in him. I know there's still…_ "

The shields hiding me from the guards slip and I can't hold them. "Leave!" I roar, crushing the holorecorders.

The guards, oblivious to my presence until then, stampede for the lifts.

Finally – I am alone…almost.

" _Obi-wan, there's good in him. I know there's still…_ "

No one can see me here. I fall to my knees and place my hand on the cell door.

 _Forgive me, Leia. I don't know if there is._

I cannot read Leia's emotions when she hears this. Fear, confusion, hope, heartache. I am not sure that even she can read her own emotions right now.

Before she can think too much about it, I reach out to her and make her sleep again, also adding a shield to protect her from such memories. This time she will have no dreams to disturb her. Once I have ensured she is asleep and will not wake, I stand up and push the door release.

Leia…my Princess…is curled up on the bench. But even in sleep, she doesn't look peaceful. Her face is smooth, but tension is written all over her features.

I notice the tray of food I had ordered be given to her is empty – it looks as though she has even licked the plate clean. I remember doing such during the Clone Wars whenever I had something more than just the rations bars that usually made up my diet. As a soldier in the Clone Wars, I knew that you could never know when your next meal would be, so you ate whatever was given to you down to the last crumb. I wonder how much my daughter is involved in the Rebellion to have that instinct. Or had she simply not had anything to eat since before her capture?

But if this is a soldier instinct… If I ever find that the Rebellion is using my daughter as a soldier and sending her to the frontlines in combat, I will not hesitate to steal her away from them. It would be all too easy to take her to Vjun and hide her in Bast. Emperor or no, my daughter is too valuable to let her fight like that.

My little girl shivers in her sleep. I am across the room instantly and pulling the child into my lap, wrapping my cape around her. She stirs, but my sleep-suggestion in still intact so she doesn't wake. To my shock, she curls herself up trying to make herself fit better on my lap.

After a long moment, I decide it is time that I see my daughter without my mask. Balancing her carefully on my lap, I reach up and begin to remove my helmet. I've never gotten used to removing it and my gloved fingers fumble with the small clasps that hold it in place. It doesn't help that my hands are shaking at the idea of finally looking on my daughter with my own eyes. I set the helmet on the bench beside me and reach up to remove the mask. A calm reverence settles over me as I feel the mask peel away from my skin. The respirator disconnects and my iconic breathing stops. For a moment, my real breath stops, too.

My daughter, my Princess, my Leia is curled up on my lap. She is beautiful, just like her mother. Small form, chocolate brown hair wound into an intricate hairstyle. Having watched… _her_ …do her hair on multiple occasions, I knew my daughter's hair had some length to it in order to create this style.

When the respirator completely disconnects and the sound of Vader is silenced, Leia sirs in her sleep again...then relaxes and snuggles close to me. The tension flees her face and a smile brushes her features – a real, natural smile, not the caustic, sarcastic thing she wore on the Tantive IV. This was the smile of a child, one that is a response to safety and love – to the arms of a parent. Did the Organas ever see this smile, or has no one ever seen it since she… she was…never held by…

I wrap my arms around her, gathering completely into my lap as I sob into her hair. Until yesterday, my baby has never been held by her parents and it's all my fault. Almost sixteen years and I have only held her twice. I should have held her that many times by the time she reached sixteen minutes, not years.

"I'm sorry, Leia. I'm so sorry."

I wish with all my being that I can go back and do it all over again and this time not turn on her mother, or my brother, or my family. I wish I had killed Sidious when Windu had him cornered. So many choices made – any one of them made differently and I would not have turned on Padmé and my child.

I am thankful Leia is still submitting to my sleep-suggestion – neither of us is ready for this. I can't face her yet and she won't accept the image of Darth Vader as her father.

Something brushes against me through the Force and I feel her reaching for me in her sleep. Slowly I reach back. We gently touch each other in the Force and I feel something familiar. I recognize her. I remember touching our child through the Force and feeling her reach back curiously as though asking me who I was and asking Mommy, "Who is this man? Is he the one you told me about?" She had eventually recognized me as her father even though she had no words to express the connection. She still seemed to hide from me, though. Now – sixteen years later – as we touch again, she isn't hiding so much and I recognize her. She feels different, as though she had been using another presence to hide inside of Padmé, but I still recognize her.

And I feel recognition from her. She curls herself even smaller and tries to snuggle even closer to me. In her unconscious state, Leia is reverting to the most basic of childish instincts – she is reaching for her parent. Sixteen years, and her senses still know me and she settles contentedly into my presence. Though no words exist in our reawakening bond, her instincts might as well be screaming their meaning at me – a meaning which brings tears to my eyes once again:

 _Daddy keeps me safe._

Almost sixteen years of learned traits telling her to run from me, yet they are brushed aside because her senses still recognize me as her father.

 _Daddy will protect me._

As our presences get reacquainted with each other, I continue to remember her Force signature from a lifetime ago. As I hold my daughter close while stroking her face, I begin to see images of that life. I'm not holding our child, I'm holding my wife. And instead of our child's face, my hand is placed on the mother's stomach which holds our child. But the connection is the same – still just as faint and unfamiliar now as it was then, but at the same time strong and just as much a part of me as my own heart. A bond so deeply ingrained that should it be broken, neither of us would be the same.

 _Daddy won't hurt me._

But it _was_ broken. And I _did_ hurt her and the mother. And I destroyed us all.

Leia shivers again and I feel a scared, questioning feeling coming from her in response to my darker emotions.

Trying to hold back the dark thoughts that threaten to crush me, I hold her tight and send as many feelings of love and safety to her as I can. She sighs contentedly before falling into a deeper sleep and retreating from me, but not completely. It gives me the impression of an infant who has fallen asleep holding a parent's finger – no strength to the hold whatsoever, but should I pull away she will know and be mad. So I make sure she can still feel me through the Force.

I smile down at her and brush some loose strands of hair off her forehead. A smile crosses her now peaceful face.

And I feel her slip into another dream.

I panic, checking the shields I had placed around her. She shouldn't be having a dream. She shouldn't suffer nightmares for what I've done. But the shield is in tack. I don't understand. I look back at her face and her features are the most content that I have seen on her so far.

She jumps slightly and scowls in her sleep. Whatever happened startled her but was expected. She feels…irritated? She shifts in her sleep, one of her arms moving up and over slightly, almost as though she is trying to hit or throw something, but sleep hinders her movements. A slight smile, which I don't like the look of at all, plays on her lips. Tentatively, I reach into her mind, half afraid of what I had seen earlier and half afraid of what kind of mischief my daughter is planning in the dream to cause her to smile like that.

* * *

 _When I open my "eyes" in the dream it is just in time to see a room before it begins to fade from existence. I hear laughter and just catch a glimpse of what can only be children vanishing around the corner. Something about this room looks familiar. It's a living room with rich furniture and a thick, round rug in the middle. The rug is surrounded by a caf-table and two couches. In the wall facing the rug between the couches is a huge fireplace. Something clicks in my mind, but before I can grab hold completely, the room melts away – literally melts. The walls and furniture turn to liquid and begin to slide or flow down themselves until they are washing away the floor, leaving me standing under a tree on a hillside overlooking a lake._

 _Before I can really get my bearings, I hear shouting laughter from behind me and look over to see two small children running full tilt down the hill and heading straight for the water. Both crash into the lake at the same time, sending more water flying into the air than I ever thought possible._

 _I find myself smiling as their heads pop back up above the water and they begin to splash each other mercilessly. But my breath catches as my eyes drift farther our across the lake._

 _I know that island._

 _I've seen this view before and would recognize it no matter how much time has passed. I slowly begin to turn, needing to know for sure. Once my back is to the lake, I see a sight I thought I would never see again, and if I'm honest with myself, believed I should never have seen again._

 _Varykino. My Angel's home, and the place our time as husband and wife began._

 _I look back to where the children are playing. My Leia turns to the side as the boy sends a wave towards her. She retaliates by sending one right back, splashing him squarely in the face. He jumps at Leia and takes her down, shoving her under the water as she pulls him under, too. Leia comes up first, standing so the water doesn't even reach her waist, whereas the boy only pops his head above the water smiling mischievously._

 _I honestly don't know who the boy is but he and Leia seem close. Could he be another child? But Padmé and I didn't plan on having another child so soon. Granted we didn't plan of having Leia in the first place either. But still…_

 _He looks like he could be younger than Leia, but he also looks like he could be older. Maybe Padmé and I would have adopted a war orphan. Is this boy out there somewhere, having grown up without a family because we weren't there to find him? Has he even survived the last sixteen years?_

 _My eyes drift back to my little Princess as she continues to splash and laugh. I have never seen my daughter so happy._

 _I know I shouldn't. I have no right to. But this is the only chance I will ever have…of being able to play with my Leia as a little girl…_

 _So I take it._

 _I take off running for the lake and jump right in, completely soaking my little Leia (as if she wasn't already soaked) and make a grab for her. With my squirming, screaming, laughing daughter pinned under my arm, I fall backwards into the water taking her down with me. It suddenly occurs to me, that I have two children in my arms, not just mine. I had meant to be here just to play with Leia, but grabbing the boy…well… it just sort of happened. I stand up looking down at my Leia. The joy I sense from her is overwhelming. I laugh as I start trudging towards the shore, still dragging my protesting child with me. Twinkling brown eyes smile back up at me as I realize I haven't laughed like this since before her birth._

 _When I glance up, my step falters. Tears begin to fog my vision as my breath hitches in my throat._

 _Somehow, I keep moving forward, compelled by the circumstances of Leia's dream no doubt, as I would have fallen to my knees by now. When I reach the shore, I set the children down, keeping a hand on Leia as my Angel takes two of the three towels she is carrying and begins to dry off my sopping charges._

 _In a daze, I simply watch her. She's just a beautiful as I remember her if not more so. A soft smile continues to softly pull the corners of her mouth, but hidden laughter makes her dark eyes sparkle like the water's surface. A light breeze blows by and tugs at her loose curls and blue sundress._

 _Barely looking up from the dripping younglings, she suddenly tosses me a towel as she begins to dry the children. I catch it without even thinking, Leia's dream once again controlling me when I am too dazed to move on my own._

 _Before I can stop myself, I shake my head out to rid my hair of excess water and shower both girls, but mostly Padmé. I freeze in horror at what I've done. But they just scream and laugh, Leia attempting to use the Force to keep the water from getting her._

 _I watch as my Angel continues to dry off the two children. She then straightens up and looks expectantly at me. Our eyes lock and I can't look away. There is no fear, no accusation, not even forgiveness in those brown eyes. It is as though Mustafar never happened. Shame and self-loathing rise up in my throat like bile as tears continue to fill my eyes. She is every bit the angel I always thought she was and I want more than anything to take her in my arms and beg her forgiveness._

 _But this is only a dream – Leia's dream._

 _This is not real. This is not my vision. This is not Varykino. This is not Padmé. The only thing that is real is my little daughter, and I have lost her, too. She is not this bright-eyed, innocent child. She is hard and calculating, eyes sharpened and innocence lost to the chaos I have kept the galaxy in since before her birth. I don't even deserve to see the child she should have been._

 _I feel myself draw back from these images even though I don't move a muscle. The image of Padmé cocks its head as though confused while still keeping a look of expectancy in its eyes._

 _"Daddy?"_

* * *

AN: Hehehe! Sorry, had to. I just had too many details and ideas, so decided it needed to be split up.

Also, question: Is it just me, or does it look like for every theory about who Snoke is, there is another theory about who Rey's parents are?


End file.
